Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress
Chapter 397 - 394: The Land of Right and Wrong_1

Chapter 397: Chapter 394: The Land of Right and Wrong_1

Bai Qingyan and Shen Qingzhu rode away from the gates of the Crown Prince’s residence. She slowed her pace, and Shen Qingzhu understood and followed.

She lowered her voice and said to Shen Qingzhu, "Qingzhu, I’m afraid you must endure the hardship of taking people to Chunmu Mountain. Perhaps soon, Daliang and the Jin Kingdom will go to war. We must prepare in advance."

Shen Qingzhu’s expression was solemn. "I will quickly pack a few things and depart immediately."

"Take a few more people with you," Bai Qingyan said, turning her head to look at Shen Qingzhu.

"Yes!"

No sooner had Shen Qingzhu spoken than Lu Yuanpeng’s voice came from upstairs.

"Bai family sister!"

Bai Qingyan looked up to see Lu Yuanpeng leaning on the redwood railing, waving at her. "Bai family sister, wait for me!"

"You go back and prepare first," Bai Qingyan said to Shen Qingzhu.

She dismounted and watched as Lu Yuanpeng, in his haste to run out of the tavern, almost tripped over the threshold. She smiled, unable to contain her amusement.

"Bai family sister!" Lu Yuanpeng ran up to Bai Qingyan. "I heard that the convoy sending goods back to Shuoyang for the Bai family was robbed by bandits. These bandits are simply too bold! I thought, since you’re going back to Shuoyang on the first of May, I’d escort you with our Lu family’s guard. I want to see how those petty bandits dare to be so arrogant."

"There’s no need. Having you escort the Bai family back to Shuoyang would only worry them on your return trip," Bai Qingyan said to Lu Yuanpeng. "Moreover, there might be a conscription soon. If you’re interested, you might try enlisting. However, I’m not sure if Prime Minister Lu will allow you to join the army."

With the backing of Prime Minister Lu, Lu Yuanpeng would likely have a smooth path in the military without major dangers.

"Conscription? Is there going to be a war? With Daliang?"

Lu Yuanpeng was indeed very perceptive.

"Not necessarily, but conscription is certain. The Jin Kingdom lost too many soldiers in the battle in the southern regions. It’s time to recruit more," Bai Qingyan said.

Lu Yuanpeng almost blurted out that he wanted to join the Bai family army in the southern regions but swallowed his words. This was the first time he planned to enlist under an alias without relying on anyone. If he told Bai family sister, she might think he was seeking shelter!

He wanted to make a name for himself in the Bai family army and then stand before Bai family sister, winning the red tassel spear from her fair and square.

Bai Qingyan mounted her horse again and said to Lu Yuanpeng, "Take care!"

"On the first of May, I will see you off, Bai family sister! There will still be time for farewells then!" Lu Yuanpeng stepped back and made a deep bow.

Bai Qingyan saw the clear and clean eyes of Lu Yuanpeng filled with a smile. She nodded slightly and rode away.

Lu Yuanpeng watched Bai Qingyan leave, then ran upstairs excitedly to tell his companions that Daliang might soon go to war.

·

In the library, the Emperor leaned against a bronze crane lamp. He watched the little eunuchs on either side of him flipping through bamboo slips, his brows furrowed with impatience.

Today, the Emperor had summoned only the literate eunuchs from the palace. He asked them to search through ancient books in the library for records of immortality, rejuvenation, and resurrection.

Gao Demao, who had followed the Emperor for many years, knew the Emperor was interested in the resurrection medicine the woman had caused a scene in front of the Princess of Zhen’s residence.

Gao Demao himself was somewhat tempted. Though he did not dare to covet immortality, he hoped there was a medicine that could resurrect people and regenerate bodies.

As an eunuch, Gao Demao’s greatest pain in this life was his broken body.

If he could have a complete body to be buried, it would be good.

Outside the library, a young eunuch walked in, keeping his head down and taking small steps along the red-painted pillar until he reached Gao Demao. He covered his mouth with one hand and whispered, "Eunuch Gao, the Crown Prince is here, waiting outside."

The Emperor heard the noise, opened his eyes, and said, "Let the Crown Prince in."

"Yes!"

Soon, the Crown Prince entered. After saluting the Emperor, he spoke about the military report from Chunmu Mountain and sought the Emperor’s opinion.

The Emperor fingered the edge of the round pillow in silence, scrutinizing his son with a probing look, guessing that this suggestion was not from his son alone.

The Crown Prince remained calm and said, "Father, I think the Daliang soldiers entering our Jin Kingdom might be a test from Daliang. If we do not retaliate, Daliang might think our Jin Kingdom is afraid of them."

After a while, the Emperor said, "This time, the Commander of Daliang, Xun Tianzhang, has always been aggressive in the Liang Court..."

The Crown Prince knelt beside the Emperor, waiting quietly for the Emperor’s further words. The Emperor tapped a bamboo slip on the table in front of him and said, "But not killing those Daliang soldiers would indeed harm the Jin Kingdom’s prestige."

"Then what does Father mean..."

"According to your suggestion, let Zhang Duanrui send those soldiers’ heads," the Emperor said unhurriedly.

The Emperor did not mention sending troops, and the Crown Prince dared not ask further. He excused himself and left the library.

"Your Majesty, are you not planning to send troops to Chunmu Mountain? If Xun Tianzhang of Daliang indeed attacks the Jin Kingdom, what should we do?" Gao Demao asked in a soft voice. "Would Your Majesty use the Princess of Zhen?"

The Emperor half-closed his eyes and replied slowly, "If Daliang dared to use troops, they wouldn’t have waited until today. If they dared to fight our Jin Kingdom, then send the Lord of Gaoyi. As for Bai Qingyan... unless absolutely necessary, I will never use her again."

With her role in the southern battle, Bai Qingyan had already established prestige among the military generals. The Emperor did not wish to give Bai Qingyan any more opportunities.

However, the Bai family’s fourth daughter, Bai Jinzhi, had also been raised studying military strategy from a young age. Although she might not compare to Bai Qingyan, she was still a Bai family descendant and wouldn’t be lacking. More importantly, she was easier to control due to her guilelessness.

Qin Shangzhi received the news and remained silent for a long time, realizing the Emperor’s decision was precisely as Bai Qingyan had predicted.

·

When Chun Tao invited Ji Langhua to Chunhui Garden, Bai Qingyan had just finished practicing with the silver spear.

Seeing Ji Langhua arrive, Bai Qingyan placed the silver spear back on the rack, wiped the sweat from her face with a cloth, and invited Ji Langhua to sit.

After saluting, Ji Langhua said, "Young General Bai, there is no need to persuade me further. I hope you can take my cousin sister away from this place of strife. I will be enough to deal with the Emperor."

Bai Qingyan saw Ji Langhua’s stubborn expression. She untied the iron sandbag wrapped around her forearm, placed it on the stone table, and sat down. "Killing the Emperor, letting the Crown Prince ascend... might not be much better than the current Emperor."

Chun Tao stepped forward to pour tea for Bai Qingyan and Ji Langhua.

Bai Qingyan picked up the teacup and spoke in a calm and gentle tone. "The major threat from Xiliang has just been resolved, and conflicts with Daliang are on the verge of breaking out. If the Emperor were to die now... it would be good if the Crown Prince could ascend smoothly. If not, the Jin Kingdom would face internal chaos like Xiliang, and Xiliang would surely take the opportunity to counterattack. Now, the Jin Kingdom is not strong enough to fight two countries simultaneously. The ones suffering would be the border people, not the royal court in Dadu. Killing the Emperor... would not contribute to the Jin Kingdom but would bring disaster."